The United States Government has described its cooperation with Ghana as “extraordinary,” citing deepening collaboration across security, health, trade, migration, and rule of law.
This comes as the two countries work to strengthen a long-standing partnership anchored on mutual interests and shared democratic values.
Mr. Rolf Olsen, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, said the breadth and consistency of engagement with Ghana’s leadership had made the country a key and trusted partner of the United States in West Africa, particularly under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
Mr. Olsen was speaking during a policy interaction in Accra, where senior U.S. official, Mr. Will Stevens, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for West Africa at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, outlined Washington’s priorities and evolving cooperation framework with Ghana.
He said Ghana had demonstrated strong political will and institutional cooperation, especially in areas such as law enforcement and the fight against transnational crime, which had significantly strengthened bilateral trust.
According to him, Ghana had extradited nine individuals to the United States within a single year, a development he described as an “extraordinary achievement” in judicial and law enforcement cooperation.
Mr Olsen said: “These extraditions involve a formal legal process and reflect very strong collaboration with the President, the Attorney General, and the Interior Ministry.”
He noted that most of the cases were linked to cybercrime and elder fraud, where victims had lost millions of dollars.
He stressed that cybercrime knew no borders and that cooperation was essential to protect citizens and uphold the rule of law on both sides of the Atlantic.
On the economic front, he highlighted a rapidly expanding trade relationship, which has grown from about $2 billion to between $3.5 billion and $4 billion in recent years.
On investment, the Chargé d’Affaires pointed to American companies as major contributors to Ghana’s economy, including Newmont Corporation, described as the single largest taxpayer in the country and led by a Ghanaian national.
Mr. Stevens said most Ghanaian exports to the U.S. were exempt from baseline tariffs, including major commodities such as oil and cocoa, making Ghana one of the countries facing the lowest tariff barriers globally.
He, however, expressed concern about relatively high tariffs on American exports to Ghana and called for a more reciprocal trade environment, stressing that negotiations between equal partners should reflect openness on both sides.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary said Washington was seeking a one-year “clean renewal” of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to allow time for the development of a new and more sustainable trade framework.
“This underscores our belief in investing in local talent and national capacity,” Mr. Stevens said, adding that U.S. policy increasingly emphasized empowering host-country nationals rather than fostering dependency.
In the health sector, which has historically been the largest recipient of U.S. assistance in Ghana, he announced ongoing negotiations for a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding to guide future cooperation.
Mr. Stevens said the U.S. Government was working with Ghana to establish a clear pathway for health financing, beginning with the retention of 100 per cent funding for key programmes in 2026, followed by a gradual transition to greater domestic responsibility.
He said the approach aligned with President Mahama’s stated vision that national governments should ultimately bear responsibility for the healthcare of their citizens, a position that had been referenced in the U.S. global health strategy.
Malaria and HIV/AIDS programmes remain central to U.S. assistance in Ghana, with officials cautioning that an abrupt withdrawal of support would be detrimental, even as the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump sought to reduce long-term aid dependency.
On development finance and infrastructure, Mr. Stevens highlighted public-private partnerships such as the Lobito Corridor as models for catalytic investment, involving institutions like the U.S.
Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank, the World Bank, and private sector actors.
He said such initiatives demonstrated how U.S. government tools could unlock large-scale investments in transport, logistics, technology, and regional integration, creating shared benefits across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
Addressing concerns over reports suggesting that Ghana was barred from certain U.S. assistance due to sovereign debt defaults, U.S. officials clarified that the issue related to legacy arrears and ongoing bilateral debt restructuring with the Export-Import Bank.
They said discussions with the Government of Ghana had been “fruitful,” with several payments already made, and expressed optimism that the restructuring process would soon be concluded, restoring eligibility for additional government-to-government financing.
Mr Stevens touching on migration, commended Ghana for its cooperation in accepting the return of its nationals and working constructively with U.S. authorities, describing the engagement as positive and consistent with international obligations.
He reaffirmed confidence in Ghana’s ability to manage migration-related issues in line with human rights and due process, amid broader U.S. efforts to enforce immigration laws and protect its borders.
Mr. Stevens said Ghana’s strong alignment with U.S. priorities on security, migration, health, and trade had made cooperation seamless, adding that his visit was partly to express appreciation to the Government and people of Ghana.
“As a security partner, a trade partner, and a partner on health and migration, Ghana is getting it right,” he said, noting that the bilateral relationship remained strong and forward-looking .
Source: GNA
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